I've spoken atgreatlength in the past of how important customer service is. Especially in an industry where one of the key cornerstones is community, it is imperative that members feel respected.

In this era of the ever-connected social media, there are a few rules to remember when interacting with customers online, via phone or in person.

A Twitter follower of mine told me that when she was having problems with a company, the first thing she does it tweet them - before phone, before email, she tweets. While not everyone uses this method right off the bat, the trend is growing.

Twitter-as-a-help-desk is a trend we see in huge companies, such as @ComcastCares and @FordCustService. These companies are in fields where customer service makes up a large part of their interaction with consumers, and their dedicated twitter accounts show that they realize this.

As Twitter expands and grows, consumers (reasonably) expect that businesses that they patronize will have a presence there. Making sure that your credit union twitter account is active and responds to any tweet, positive or negative will go a long way with members.

No one expects any business to be right 100% of the time. Mistakes happen. But what should differentiate your credit union is how you deal with it. Do you respond swiftly and take action? Or do you ignore the problem and hope it goes away?

Tell me your twitter war stories. Have you seen any companies handle situations completely wrong? Let me know in the comment section!